Minimum Wage: New Increase for 2025
The Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare announced at the beginning of December a 12% increase to the minimum wage for 2025. With this adjustment, the minimum wage that workers will receive will be 278.80 pesos and 419.88 pesos in the Free Zone of the Northern Border (ZLFN), as explained by Marath Baruch Bolaños López, head of the STPS, during a morning conference with President Claudia Sheinbaum.
"This helps us continue moving forward in the recovery of the purchasing power of the minimum wage, aiming for a wage that at least covers 2.5 basic baskets," said Bolaños López. "With this increase, a recovery of 135% has been achieved to date," he added. Thanks to this increase, which was unanimously approved, next year it will be possible to buy 5.3 kilos of beans, 5.6 kilos of eggs, and 13.2 kilos of tortillas, detailed the official. President Claudia Sheinbaum thanked the Secretariat of Labor, the National Minimum Wage Commission (Conasami), as well as the labor and business sectors for reaching a consensus on the wage increase that will take effect on January 1, 2025. During the previous administration, the minimum wage grew from 88 pesos in 2018 to 248 pesos in most of the country and to 374 pesos daily in the northern border this year. In her presidential campaign, Claudia Sheinbaum committed to ensuring that the wage would continue to rise until it reaches the value corresponding to 2.5 daily basic baskets, which would require annual increases of 11% in the coming years. Last October, senators approved a proposal ensuring that the minimum wage must always increase above inflation. This reform was part of a set of initiatives presented in February by then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
This increase in the minimum wage is a positive step toward improving the purchasing power of workers, although it is crucial to implement a comprehensive strategy that includes measures to contain inflation and ensure that the increase translates into a real benefit for Mexican families. Similarly, it is vital to monitor the impact of this increase on the economy, both for workers and employers, to maintain a balance that promotes sustainable economic growth.
